Samsung SDI said on the 15th that it is focusing on battery development for robotics and urban air mobility (UAM) applications. Speaking at the SNE Research Global Battery Conference NGBS 2026 in Seoul, a senior vice president from the company’s advanced development and technology strategy teams emphasized that batteries will play a key role in connecting AI and human-centered environments as AI converges with humanoid robotics. The company also confirmed that it is internally preparing mass production plans for sodium-ion batteries and may make an official announcement by the end of this year or next year.

Key takeaways: Rapid growth: LFP cathode materials (+60%), iron phosphate (+67%), and LiPF6 (+38%) saw significant production expansion, reflecting strong demand from power batteries and energy storage. New-type materials such as LMFP and composite sodium iron phosphate grew by over 90%, entering the commercialisation phase.

Sodium-ion battery cathode material enterprise Jiana Energy announced the completion of a Series A+ funding round of several hundred million yuan, with investors including Shenzhen Energy Storage Fund and EVE, among others. The company focuses on the polyanion (NFPP) route, with construction completed on a 10kt-level cathode production line, and its products have a cycle life exceeding 20,000 cycles. The funds from this round will be used for capacity expansion, R&D iteration, and market development.

In its latest institutional survey, EVE disclosed that the company has built a collaborative system integrating hydrogen, lithium, and sodium multi-technology routes to reduce single dependence on lithium resources, covering diverse scenarios including AIDC, electricity ESS, and specialty vehicles. The company pioneered traceless sodium-ion battery technology, adopting self-degradable low-carbon materials to achieve recycling-free and natural decomposition throughout the battery life cycle, fulfilling the goal of zero-carbon sodium-ion batteries. In October 2025, the first large-capacity sodium-ion battery ESS was connected to grid at the Jingmen base. In December of the same year, the headquarters of EVE Sodium Energy broke ground, with a planned 2 Gwh annual capacity and expected commissioning in 2027.

Affected by shipping turmoil triggered by the Iran situation, major copper and cobalt producers in the DRC have had orders for key leaching chemicals canceled or withdrawn by suppliers this month, forcing them to reduce chemical usage and consider output cuts.Sources indicate that thousands of metric tons of sodium metabisulfite (SMBS) orders have been unilaterally canceled or withdrawn after contract signing. Miners are cutting chemical consumption to extend existing stockpiles, and are even considering lowering cobalt production or producing off-spec material to maintain operations.Affected companies include top miners in the DRC such as CMOC, Glencore, and Eurasian Resources Group.

Futures: The LME market was closed from April 3 to April 6 for the Good Friday and Easter holidays; due to the Qingming Festival holiday, SHFE lead did not conduct night session trading on the evening of Friday, April 3; normal trading resumed from Tuesday, April 7. On the Macro Front: 1. Trump said Iran's bridge power plants could be destroyed within four hours. 2. Trump on strait transit fees: the US might as well collect them. 3. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson: the US rescue operation for pilots may have been aimed at stealing enriched uranium. 4. Vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz rose to the highest level since early March. 5. China made a major breakthrough in sodium-ion battery technology. 6. Media: Foxconn was trial-producing Apple's foldable-screen phones. Spot Fundamentals: Last Friday, SHFE lead held up well. Suppliers shipped in line with the market, and with the holiday approaching, some suppliers actively made shipments. Premiums for primary lead cargoes self-picked up from production site were lowered, with quotations in major producing areas mostly around parity against the SMM #1 lead average price ex-works, while a small number of regions quoted premiums of 50 yuan/mt. For secondary lead, smelters quoted in line with the market, with secondary refined lead quoted at discounts of 50-0 yuan/mt to premiums of 25 yuan/mt against the SMM #1 lead average price ex-works. However, imported lead continued to flow into China, giving downstream enterprises more choices. Apart from slight stockpiling due to the holiday, other enterprises only purchased as needed. Inventory: As of April 2, LME lead inventory fell by 50 mt to 281,650 mt; SMM social inventory of lead ingot across five regions continued to pull back. Lead Price Forecast for Today: Supply side, although social inventory of lead ingot in five regions in China continued to decline, maintenance and production resumptions at primary lead smelters proceeded in parallel in April. In addition, secondary lead capacity in northern China increased, finished product inventories at plants increased slightly, and imported lead continued to pour in, leaving overall spot supply ample. Demand side, lead-acid batteries entered the traditional off-season, downstream purchase willingness remained cautious, and spot transactions were weak. With phased consumption absent and the risk of post-holiday social inventory buildup elevated, resistance in SHFE lead became more evident. Lead prices are expected to maintain a fluctuating trend, with limited upside room.